Yellow nail syndrome: a perspective

The Yellow Nail syndrome is an unusual lymphangitic disorder classically characterized by the presence of nail discoloration, lymphedema and pleural effusion. Since the recognition of the significance of these associated physical findings, four cases have been diagnosed at our institution in the last six years. This suggests that the syndrome may not be as rare as previously reported in medical literature. More often it may remain unrecognized in the absence of the classic triad of physical findings. To heighten awareness of this disorder, we describe our most recent patient diagnosed with YNS and provide a review of the current medical literature.